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Backlash 2000
Backlash 2000 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) promotion, which took place on April 30, 2000 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.. It was the second event under the Backlash chronology. Nine professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the event's card. The main event was a singles match for the WWF Championship with Shane McMahon as special guest referee, in which The Rock defeated Triple H to win the championship. Featured matches on the undercard included Chris Benoit defeating Chris Jericho by disqualification to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship and a six-man Hardcore match for the WWF Hardcore Championship, which Crash Holly won to retain the championship. Background The event featured nine professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers were portrayed as either villains or fan favorites as they followed a series of events which built tension, culminating in a wrestling match or series of matches. After Vince McMahon betrayed The Rock at WrestleMania, Vince joined forces with Triple H, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, Shane McMahon, and D-Generation X to fully complete the formation of the heel faction, the McMahon-Helmsley Faction. The Faction's new objectives revolved around keeping Triple H as WWF Champion, though they also helped Stephanie win the Women's Championship, through dirty tactics of interfering in matches, and ambushing dissenters at inopportune times. On the first episode of Raw Is War, after WrestleMania, The Rock won the right to face Triple H for the WWF Championship at Backlash, but the Faction made stipulations to the title match that would give Triple H a full advantage: Vince and Stephanie would be allowed to be ringside for the match, and Shane was named the referee for the match. In addition to The Rock, another noted figure who opposed the Faction was referee Earl Hebner, who started to feud with Triple H, culminating on the April 17 episode of Raw is War, where Triple H defended his WWF Title against Chris Jericho. During the match, Hebner came to relieve the original referee, who had gotten knocked out, which caused Triple H to argue with Hebner. The distraction allowed Jericho to take advantage and pin Triple H to win the title, though Hebner visibly called a fast pinfall. The Faction then brought Hebner and the original referee Mike Chioda to the ring, where Chioda admitted that Hebner made an unfair pinfall. Triple H then had Hebner fired, and reversed the decision, allowing Triple H to regain the title. Later that night, WWF CEO Linda McMahon, the only member of the McMahon family to not be a member of The Faction, arrived, and announced that she declared The Rock to be "outnumbered" at Backlash, and decided that she would allow one WWF wrestler to be in The Rock's corner at Backlash: Stone Cold Steve Austin, who had not been seen in the WWF since the previous year's Survivor Series. On the final episode of SmackDown! prior to Backlash, Austin made his first WWF appearance in 6 months, where he dropped a concrete barrier from a crane onto the "DX Express" bus, causing it to explode. Event Before Backlash aired live on pay-per-view, three matches were showcased on Sunday Night Heat. The first match saw D'Lo Brown defeat Al Snow by disqualification. In the next match, Steve Blackman pinned Val Venis. The final match before Backlash 2000 featured The Godfather and Kaientai (Taka Michinoku and Funaki) defeating Steven Richards and The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) Results *Edge & Christian defeated D-Generation X (X-Pac and Road Dogg) (w/ Tori) to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship (9:23) *Dean Malenko © defeated Scotty 2 Hotty to retain the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (12:59) *The Big Boss Man and Bull Buchanan © defeated The Acolytes (Faarooq and Bradshaw) (7:41) *Crash Holly defeated Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Hardcore Holly, Perry Saturn and Tazz in a six-man Hardcore match to retain the WWF Hardcore Championship (12:20) *The Big Show defeated Kurt Angle (2:57) *T & A (Test and Albert) (w/ Trish Stratus) defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley) (11:04) *Eddie Guerrero © (w/ Chyna) defeated Essa Rios (w/ Lita) to retain the WWF European Championship (8:43) *Chris Benoit © defeated Chris Jericho by disqualification to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship (15:08) *The Rock (w/ "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Linda McMahon) defeated Triple H © (w/ Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon) to win the WWF Championship with Shane McMahon as the Special Guest Referee (19:24) Other on-screen talent See also *List of WWE pay-per-view events *WWE Event History *TLC:Tables, Ladders & Chairs (PPV) DVD release * Backlash 2000 on VHS External links * Backlash 2000 Official Website * Backlash 2000 at CAGEMATCH.net * Backlash 2000 at Online World of Wrestling * on WWE Network Backlash 2000 Backlash 2000 Backlash 2000